First Aid Delivery Standards
Certificates
The certification date should correspond to the completion of the final unit. The qualification’s validity period, as outlined in Table 2, should be determined from this date. Certificates awarded for Emergency First Aid at Work or First Aid at Work must include the following details:
- A reference to the Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981
- A statement confirming that the certificate is valid for three years from the final unit completion date
- The name of the training provider
Training Duration
The minimum required contact hours (time allocated for direct teaching and assessment, excluding breaks) for each qualification are outlined in Table 2.
For FAW/EFAW qualifications, the minimum contact hours are as follows:
- First Aid at Work: 18 hours
- First Aid at Work Re-qualification*: 12 hours
- Emergency First Aid at Work: 6 hours
For PFAW/EPFAW qualifications, the minimum contact hours are:
- Paediatric First Aid: 12 hours
- Emergency Paediatric First Aid: 6 hours
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*First Aid at Work Re-Qualification
Learners who have previously achieved the FAW qualification must re-certify by completing the full course again. If their FAW certificate has expired by no more than one calendar month (e.g., expired on the 5th and the course begins on or before the 4th of the following month), the training hours can be reduced to 12 hours across two days.
After this period, the training provider may decide, based on their policy, whether a reduction in contact hours is still applicable. All learners must be assessed on every learning outcome and criterion outlined in the course units. To be eligible for the shorter re-qualification course, learners must present evidence of their previous FAW qualification.
It is important for training providers, centres, and employers to understand that if a workplace first aider’s certification expires, they will not be recognised as a first aider under the First Aid at Work Regulations until they complete the qualification again.
Session Plans
All courses must be conducted using the current session plans provided within each course pack. It is the trainer’s ultimate responsibility to ensure these plans are followed and implemented throughout the training.
Course Evaluation
All courses must be conducted using the current session plans provided within each course pack. It is the trainer’s ultimate responsibility to ensure these plans are followed and implemented throughout the training.
Internal Quality Assurance (IQA)
All courses must be conducted using the current session plans provided within each course pack. It is the trainer’s ultimate responsibility to ensure these plans are followed and implemented throughout the training.
Table 1: Training Venue and Equipment Requirements:
Hygiene
Adequate procedures must be established to maintain hygiene when using training equipment.
AV Equipment & Training Aids
Sufficient Audio Visual equipment and training aids should be available to facilitate learning using varying teaching methods.
Reference Materials
Participants should be given clear and accurate reference books or handouts that cover all the topics included in the qualification. They should have access to these materials for the duration of their certification’s validity.
Training Venues
The training venue must comply with acceptable health and safety standards and provide a conducive learning environment. This includes adequate size, appropriate floor surfaces, sufficient seating and writing surfaces, clean toilet facilities, proper ventilation, lighting, heating, accessible entrances and exits, cleanliness, and minimal distracting noise.
Resuscitation Manikins
A minimum ratio of 1 manikin per 4 participants must be provided. For Paediatric First Aid, there should also be 1 child manikin per 4 participants and 1 baby manikin per 4 participants.
AEDÂ Trainers
For qualifications that include AED training, a minimum of one AED trainer device should be available for every 4 participants. If fewer AED trainers are provided, the learning hours or lesson plans should be adjusted accordingly to ensure participants are not disadvantaged.
Bandages & Dressings
An adequate supply of clean bandages, dressings, and other commonly used first aid kit items must be available to support training and assessment.
Table 2: Standards for Duration, Certification and Delivery of First Aid Qualifications
Qualification
Learning
Hours 1
Minimum
Days 2
Maximum
Weeks 3
Minimum
Session 4
Participant /
Trainer Ratio 5
Certification
Period 6
Annual
Refresher 7
First Aid at Work
18
3
10
2 hours
12:1
3 Years
Yes
First Aid at Work Re-Qualification
12
2
7
2 hours
12:1
3 Years
Yes
Emergency First Aid at Work
6
n/a
4
2 hours
12:1
3 Years
Yes
Combined Emergency (Paediatric ) First Aid at Work
7
2
4
2 hours
12:1
3 Years
(2 certificates)
Yes
Combined (Paediatric) First Aid at Work
22
3
7
2 hours
12:1
3 Years
(2 certificates)
Yes
NOTES FOR IN-PERSON LEARNING
- Time allocated for direct classroom instruction and assessment, excluding breaks.
- Minimum number of days required for the delivery of the training.
- Maximum timeframe within which the qualification must be completed. Special considerations may allow for an extension if necessary.
- Minimum length of any single training session.
- Maximum number of participants per Trainer or Assessor at any given time.
- The certificate’s validity period should be calculated from the date the final unit is completed.
- Indicates whether annual refreshers are recommended during the qualification period before re-qualification. While some IT systems may not support this, AOs should include a recommendation for annual refreshers on certificates, ideally specifying the month/years they should take place and the deadline for full re-qualification.
Version: Version: 1.19